I just returned from St. Maarten and Villa Namaste was the highlight of our trip. We had our eye on it for about four years, but it was a little higher than our normal budget and had a five night minimum (we usually go for four nights). We went during high season and the price per night per person was $136 (there were six of us). If we would have gone during off season (summer), we could have rented the house for $89/night/per person. This house is perfect for six friends, three couples, and one or two families. I would probably not stay here until my children were at least eight as the pool deck is pretty high with no railing and rocks below.

On the plane ride home I talked to someone who stayed at the Westin and showed her our house pictures. She was so jealous and wanted to know all about renting a house in the Caribbean which she said she never would have done because of the extra planning involved. I think most people probably have that same misconception, but it is really very easy as every house we have rented has come with recommendations from restaurants and day outings to yoga instructors, personal chefs, and drivers. We have also been able to easily reach the house managers on the trip if something comes up or we have a question. Each house has also helped us set up grocery delivery so that we have everything we need upon arrival.

Let's get on with the tour! Villa Namaste is located on Lay Bay in Pelican Key. It is within walking distance to tons of restaurants and bars. Most are between .3 miles to 1 mile away. The walk is quite hilly, so you probably want to rent a car if walking hills in the heat is not your thing. The first time we did the walk I was having regrets about not renting a car, but once we found our bearings we were all happy we decided against the car because we enjoyed walking off all of the food we ate. Also, we found a way to avoid two of the big hills by cutting through two of the resort parking lots, so be on the lookout for that if you go!

Villa Namaste is located at the bottom of this hill, right on the water. Get ready for the house pictures and the views!

This infinity pool overlooking the beach is what drew us to the house and is where we spent most of our time. Most of the deck behind the pool is covered so it's easy to be in the shade as the sun is so strong in the Caribbean.

You can see the islands of Saba, St. Kitts, and St. Eustatius from the house. Saba is pictured above. The other two are off to the left.

We only went inside to make food and sleep. Otherwise, we were parked on the pool deck. There was also a rooftop deck which was gorgeous, but we never went up there. We also snagged two loungers from the roof and brought them down to the pool deck for additional seating.

Some previous guests left snorkel masks, fins, water shoes, noodles, and two donut floats. I left our pool pong game down there, but I can't guarantee it will still be there when you arrive.

There are steps from the pool deck leading right down to the beach where you can snorkel and swim. It is quite rocky in front of the house so you definitely need water shoes. Here we are snorkeling at our house.

If you walk 2-3 minutes down to the right, there are two nice, sandy beaches in front of a resort where we would go most of the time if we wanted to dip in the ocean. (I don't know if this was technically allowed, but no one batted an eye.) The first one is an adult-only beach, so there was hardly ever anyone swimming.

Everything inside the house is new, white, modern, and beachy. Here's the view from the kitchen island. I had breakfast duty most mornings and it wasn't too hard with that view!

The house has everything you need and then some. There is a whole drawer of just knives and one with just Tupperware. I was in heaven. The house comes fully stocked with dishwasher pods, clothes detergent, and a steamer. I mean, a steamer, y'all. How'd we get so lucky? (No, I didn't use it, but it was nice to know I could have.) And, maybe the door to the dryer doesn't quite close all the way, but just prop that ladder up against the door and dry away!

I didn't take pictures of the bedrooms as they were quite messy by the time I got around to it, but they were as beautiful as the rest of the house and they were air conditioned. The rest of the house was not, but you don't need it with the great air flow during the day. Check out the bedroom pictures on the villa's website.

Just a five or six minute walk up the street was the Peli Deli, a mini grocery store (because you may eat all of your snacks on the first two nights and need to replenish). You can also buy beer, wine, and liquor here, and there is an ATM right next to it.

What I Liked About The Villa:

The location was great. You don't need a car and you have the beach at your footsteps.

There were so many houses around us, but we rarely saw people so it felt very secluded.

The open floor plan was perfect. Even if you had kitchen duty, you were still a part of the action.

The décor was gorgeous. It doesn't seem possible that you can rent such a nice house for only $136/night during high season.

The pool deck was perfect and there was a nice shade option.

The house was stocked with everything you would possibly need except for food and drinks.

What I Did Not Like About The Villa:

At first there wasn't enough seating around the pool for six people who wanted to lay out, but we brought two loungers down from the rooftop deck to solve that problem.

Not really the villa's fault, but there were a lot of mosquitos in St. Maarten. I don't remember that being such a problem in Turks or Curacao. Bring bug spray!

We were spoiled by our first trip to Turks and Caicos and being right on Grace Bay Beach. This beach is rocky and rougher so we weren't hanging out at the beach all of the time, but our house here was much nicer than the one in T&C.

At times the house managers were a little slow to respond when we were initially setting up the rental. Also, it was pretty normal to ask three questions and only get an answer to one of them. However, the house is worth it, so don't get discouraged!

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